The 30th British Transplant Games
26th - 29th July 2007
Edinburgh
This site is recommended on the BBC's search page by
entering
Transplant Games or
British Transplant Games.
As always I must stress that this report of The Games is purely personal,
for which I make no apology. After all it is my personal
website.
I welcome any feedback, good or bad, in my 'Guest Book' and if anyone
wishes to use some of this material please do me the courtesy of an
acknowledgement.
The Freeman Adult Team was the largest at the Games.
Our squad had 8 competitors making their debuts and included 2 from the
Republic of Ireland, facts which sadly were not announced as we entered the
opening ceremony.
We had
30 competitors and 24 official supporters (paid £10) there were others too. All of the
competitors having had either a heart and or lung transplant at the Freeman
hospital in Newcastle. The age range of the team was from 19 - 76. We
also had a children's team competing at the games.
We may not come out on top in the medal
table but all of our squad, like me, are
"Just happy to be here!" For those of you
who count such things our medal tally was:
9
Gold
/
13
Silver
/
13 Bronze
Thursday 26th July 2007 - Day 1
The team had won it's first gold and silver medals before
the opening ceremony courtesy of Sue Wrightson in the archery and Adrian
Woodcock in the squash which was a brilliant way to begin what were to
become the Freeman's most successful Games ever.
All the athletes gathered in Parliament Square at the top
end of the Royal Mile before marching down The Mound into Princes Street
Gardens for the opening ceremony. Monica Clarke, Frankie's
sister, read the competitor's oath and our own Stuart Kaye brought in the
torch and following some ordinary speeches and an appearance by Sir Jimmy
Saville (he attended the first Games) the Games were declared open.
We were treated to some Scottish dancing by youngsters from Dunbar who
were followed on stage by three guys who bounced about, spun around and did
strange things to loud rap music which as far as I know was not typically
Scottish
Despite the rain the Opening Ceremony was very enjoyable
and the residents and tourists in Auld Reekie knew we had arrived.
Accompanied by Mrs Boggy and my 3 Irish competitors (one lives in Edinburgh)
we attended the civic reception in the City Chambers which was excellent.
A Scottish piper played as we entered the chamber. Our chairman
Christine Evans is an excellent speaker and she did not disappoint.
Awards were presented to commemorate 30 years of British Transplant Games
and all recipients were suitably chuffed, which was nice.
The majority of the Freeman Team stayed in
Ten Hill Place Hotel
which is owned by the Edinburgh Surgeons Lodge and is rated No 3 by
Tripadvisor of all Edinburgh's hotels. Situated just off the Royal
Mile it was an ideal and most luxurious Team base. I understand
that the accommodation at Pollock Halls was good too but now that we have
made the move to hotel v campus I reckon it is here to stay, for the Freeman
Team anyway.
Friday 27th July - Day 2
Loads of events all over the place today with The
Games definitely in full swing. We had winners in the fishing,
10 pin bowling and badminton thanks to John Harrison, Hannah Pudsey, Adrian
Woodcock and Alan Hodgson respectively.
As for me, it was off to the majestic setting of
Prestonfield Golf Club to see if I could win a medal for the first time
since 2002 when I won the event. Golf is my passion and as
everyone knows it is probably the hardest competition to win because scores
can vary by anything up to 20 shots from one round to the next.
Conditions were very difficult following all the rain that had fallen and a
very strong wind made it even tougher. Whoever decided we should
play off the white tees in the transplant games has sadly made a
mistake because the majority of the golfers find it too tough and most of
the pleasure is taken away for them. The best golfer will still
win playing from the yellow tees but the higher handicap lads will at least
enjoy their round.
Only three of us managed sub 90 rounds, Ian Hillier the
best golfer by far this season won the title for the first time and
thoroughly deserved his victory to claim the Sean Orpen trophy.
Ian dedicated his win to Ian Lewis-Jones his fellow Welshman who tragically
died when we were playing cricket for GBTCC down in Somerset in May.
ILJ was the lowest handicapped male golfer in our squad and will be much
missed by all of us.
Glenn Weston took the silver medal and I claimed
bronze. To finish third in such a large field against the
finest golfers in the UK makes me a happy bunny and I am delighted with my
medal.
The (under 18 hcp) Stableford comp was won by John
Barnes, silver medal Andy McGarry and bronze medal winner was Jeff Sutton.
He is obviously a better golfer than he is map reader (!).
In the 19 - 28 hcp Stableford category Irishman Andy Weir
took gold, Declan Logue silver and the Freeman's 74 year old Irishman David
Robinson bronze.
My doubles partner Rachel Reynolds won the ladies gold
medal and Gill Hollis form the Freeman took silver.
The craic in the clubhouse following the golf was
excellent as were the speeches. Ronnie Corbett who is a patron
of Prestonfield Golf Club and 1¼ inches shorter than
Frank Clark was good value and very funny. Christine Evans as
always was good and all in all I reckon it was the best day's golf I have
experienced in my time as a transplant golfer at the British Games.
Thank you to everyone at Prestonfield Golf Club for hosting the golf and
well done Frank.
AGM:
Hotfoot from the golf club over to
Meadowbank and the AGM of the TSUK. In contrast to last year the
attendance was very good which has to be good news and should be encouraged.
That lots of people left before the end of the meeting so that they could
catch the last bus from Meadowbank back to the campus needs to be addressed.
Too much talk from the floor should be
discouraged and only those sat at the top table should be speaking to the
membership and answering questions, unless it is their specialist subject as
per the agenda. It was an informative meeting with some
interesting new initiatives discussed in order that as a group we can move
forward and remain solvent.
The treasurer's report without
accounts is somewhat strange and to be told that we 'may not understand the
accounts had they been available' is ever so slightly patronising.
I can see me getting away with that one at the AGM of the organisation I
chair or any other AGM for that matter. If the accounts are so
complicated that only an accountant can understand them I would suggest
........."Oh shut up Marsh you are always complaining" (that was me talking
to myself).
When it came to 'Questions from the
floor' I was able to ask the chairman for an answer to the question I had
put in writing last October. That certain people were 'not in
the room to defend themselves' is irrelevant. My question was
legitimately put to the executive of the organisation of which I am a member
and I am entitled to an answer. It seems I must wait a little
longer for an official response but as my question was minuted have no doubt
I will receive same.
Saturday 28th July - Day 3
As I have no event on the Saturday I
become a keen supporter of my team-mates at their respective events.
I spent an enjoyable couple of hours at the fabulous facility at
Craiglockhart and although I had missed the canoeing managed to watch quite
a bit of tennis. From there it was over to the Commonwealth pool
and an afternoon watching the swimming.
It was good to see so many Freeman
swimmers doing so well and next year we should be able to cobble together a
relay team. Wor Rosie from the island of Ireland won a gold and
silver medal and we are all 'geet' proud of her. Unfortunately I was told the bowls had finished
otherwise I would have popped next door at Parkside Bowling Club to watch.
The bowling club have been marvellous supporters of the Games and I enjoyed
a cuppa on Friday afternoon chatting away to folk and picking up some useful
gossip.
Unofficial gossip - A little birdie tells
me that as a consequence of the tragedy that befell ILJ all heart transplant
competitors will have to undergo either an angiogram or angioplasty before
being eligible to compete next year. Time will tell how good my
information is.
Saturday evening brought a new concept and is a brilliant
idea from John Timms of MLS, who have organised such a successful Games.
Out near the airport at Ingliston, the Royal Highland Showground was the
venue for the Donor Run. Supporters and club runners
running alongside Games competitors was a huge success and very enjoyable.
I am not certain how many actually took part, but there were a canny few.
Having competed at the Australian Transplant Games I can tell you that they
involve supporters and donors in this type of event and it too is always
very well attended.
Lynne Holt who as well as being a transplant co-ordinator
at the Freeman Hospital was also the Chairman of the LOC for the Edinburgh
Games and she and Sue Reynolds, Leicester Team Manager and official kit
supplier for the UK Team at the forthcoming World Games, finished the run
together. I did take a photograph which I was going to include
in this section, but by the time my camera clicked they had both flashed out
of shot. Well done ladies.
10pm - back in the hotel and time for some well
deserved kip.
Sunday 29th July - Day 4
Meadowbank Stadium which has hosted 2 Commonwealth Games
and many international athletics events was the magnificent venue for the
athletics.
In my events, long jump, 100m and 200m I finished 3rd,
2nd and 2nd respectively, so should be pleased with my day's efforts.
Exactly 8 years ago to the week I had my heart transplant at the Freeman
Hospital in Newcastle and little did I suspect that some 8 years later I
would leave a major sports venue with 2 silver medals and a bronze and feel
a little disappointed. I was defending my 100m & 200m titles but
as often happens someone form the younger age group gravitates upwards and I
was beaten by the better man. Well done to 'Sammi' who is a class
athlete. If it any consolation to me (and it is) he is too young
to run against me in this year's World Games in Bangkok, but I do wonder who
is lurking on the blocks for me out in Thailand.
The highlight of the athletics meeting for me was to see
young Craig O'neill who was making his Games debut for the Freeman blast
away the opposition in the adult section of the 100m & 200m with times
of 12.45sec in the 100m and 26 seconds in the 200m.
Craig is such a nice young fellow he deserves everything which will come his
way in the next few years. Watch this space.
With his speed on the last leg, Stuart Kaye running the
bend, me on the back straight and Rosie Fitzgerald from the Republic
starting us off we not only qualified for the final but finished a very
creditable fourth in the 4 x100m relay.
The athletics was organised in a very professional manner
and we managed to finish ahead of schedule which allowed everyone plenty of
time to head back and get ready for the Gala Dinner.
The Gala Dinner
The setting for the dénouement of the Games was the very
swish EICC and it did not disappoint. The meal was excellent, as
good as I have had and with the Freeman contingent at 43 people, we took up
4 and a bit tables.
Another moan coming up.......as all of those present had
paid a £10 registration fee it actually means that those supporters who did
not avail themselves of the shuttle buses etc in fact paid £38 for their
Gala Dinner. A number in our squad came specially for the
athletics and Gala Dinner only.
Despite promises to keep things moving along some people
just cannot help themselves. It would be churlish of me to moan
any more because the dinner and the whole evening was a great success.
My mate Reg Chisholm, who has management stamped on his forehead, got the
night off to a flyer when he addressed the haggis in the traditional Scots
manner. He was followed by wee Frankie who apart from not
mentioning our two representatives from the Republic of Ireland also
deserves the heaps of praise which came his way.
Christine Evans our chairman again made an excellent
speech and the LOC and staff of MLS all received their justified praise and
bouquets. The glam rock band who came on following all of the
official stuff may not have been everyone's cup of tea but they knew how to
fill a dance floor. Even I was dancing.
To sum up the 2007 British Games:
